Sources, classifications, and review
Methodology
The tracker separates official evidence, analytical classification, coverage depth, and public approval so that a useful public view does not expose unfinished research.
Source hierarchy
Official legislation, enacted law, regulations, cases, and agency guidance come first. Official fiscal agencies, revenue departments, budget offices, and other government sources follow. Research and credible reporting can provide context or discovery leads, but news does not establish legislative status.
Status and version rules
A committee referral, calendar listing, print date, or news description does not establish enactment. Status is checked against the official Michigan Legislature record. Version-sensitive conclusions retain the official identity and reviewed source-version label.
Public classifications
- Direct tax/revenue changes a tax base, rate, liability, credit, exemption, filing or collection rule, or dedicated revenue stream.
- Fiscal exposure affects fees, fines, public assets, administrative costs, fund flows, or government operations without directly changing a tax.
- Policy context provides definitions, regulatory structures, reporting concepts, enforcement mechanisms, or design lessons relevant to possible tax policy without a current direct tax effect.
Coverage
Census coverage records basic jurisdiction and category status, search limits, last checked, and known gaps. Deep coverage adds operative language, versions, implementation details, fiscal channels, source history, and comparison. An empty record or unpublished page is not evidence of policy absence.
Review and publication
Private research moves from lead to sourced, verified, classified, reviewed, and—only after a separate review—public-approved. Approval is tied to the reviewed source version and the exact public content. A material source, status, classification, or public-analysis change blocks republication until it is reviewed again.
The public website receives a strict allowlisted bundle. It does not receive private priorities, fiscal-analysis workflow, raw ambiguity notes, search audits, source archives, or unfinished research.